The Tale of Black and Gold
by Byakko
Summary: It's after the last episode. Daimarou's brother is out for revenge, sending a powerful weapon to kill Cha Cha and Seravi. This based mostly on my madeup chars. Rua and Diaz but I'll try to develope the others. And R&R this! Nakago, you owe me one!
1. Black Cat Crossing the Path

Cha Cha squirmed uncomfortably in her bed. Why was it she could not fall asleep? She had tried everything that was said to help people with insomia. She drank milk (10 tall glasses too), counted sheep (she kept trying to grab the adorable sleep), ran around a while to get tired (Teacher Seravi got up in a daze and almost got her with a spell too) but none of them worked. Sighing, she flipped flopped around but still could not get to sleep.

'Oh! I'm so tired! Why can't I just fall asleep?'

She sat up for a while and looked outside her window and saw several trees at the edge of the hill. In one of the trees, she caught a sparkling glint.

'Gee, I wonder what's ZZZZZzzzz'

Suddenly, she fell flat onto her bed and started to snore along with Shine (Shiine came for a sleepover), Riiya and Chiiky (okay, so birds can't snore but it did go 'cheep! cheep!').

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**The next day, after breakfast...**

"TEACHER! WE ARE GOING OUT TO PLAAAYYY!" Cha Cha shouted out to her Teacher who was in the kitchen, cleaning some dishes.

"All right! Be careful!" came the reply amidst the sounds of dishes clinking against each other.

Outside, the trio started to play around with a ball. Riiya had changed into wolf form and was chasing the ball with glee.

"Hee hee! That was a great catch Riiya!"

"Yeah, not bad for a dog."

"I'm not a dog! I'm a wolf!"

And Shiine and Riiya (in human form) started fighting again on which member of the canine species Riiya came from.

Cha Cha sweatdropped and tried to calm them down but it was no use. She was about to start crying when she a glint flashed at the corner of her eye.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing to the apple tree the glint originated from.

Shiine and Riiya briefly stopped their fight and looked at the tree that Cha Cha had indicated. Right at that moment, the same glint appeared again.

"See? There it was again!"

"Hey! Let's go see what it is!" suggested Riiya, breaking away from a strangling hold applied by Shiine.

"Yeah!" agreed Cha Cha, all smiles again, and followed Riiya towards the apple orchard.

"Hey! Wait for me!" shouted Shiine and ran after them, for never in his life is he going to let Riiya be alone with Cha Cha if he could help it.

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"So this is the tree?" asked Riiya, looking up at the apple tree with his hands on his hips.

"Yes, I'm sure it is! See, it's right next to this big rock." answered Cha Cha, looking puzzledly up at the tree as well.

"Whew! Why did you have to run so fast?!" exclaimed Shiine who had just joined them.

A rustle in the tree brought their attention back from Shiine's arrival back to the tree. Suddenly, a apple dropped down onto the ground.

"AN APPLE! YUM!" shouted Riiya and (naturally) picked up the apple.

Just as Riiya was about to bite into the apple, there was a flurry of shining claws and a black creature. All that was left was Riiya with large scratch marks across his face and no apple. The large black creature jumped back up the apple tree and hid within the thicker branches.

"Riiya! Are you okay?" asked Cha Cha concernedly.

At first Riiya did not say anything but then...

"YAH! WHO TOOK MY APPLE!?!?!?"

"AARRGGHHH!" screamed Cha Cha and Shiine, blown back by Riiya's outburst.

"GIVE IT BACK! GIVE IT BACK!" shouted Riiya as he rocked the tree back and forth in fury.

"YARGH!" shouted a voice from the tree.

A person promptly fell down but landed upright on his/her hands and flipped onto his/her feet. He/She looked coolly at the group though there was a glint of disapproval in his/her eye (one eye could only be seen, the other was hidden by hair). The person was at about the same age as Shiine or Riiya and weirdly enough, look a lot like...

"AH! TEACHER RASCAL, HOW DID YOU GET SO SMALL?" Cha Cha suddenly shouted.

"Huh? Teacher who?" asked the person, looking bemused.

"Cha Cha you're right! He does look like Teacher Rascal!" agreed Shiine, nodding.

"Look, I don't know who you're talking about but..."

A loud stomping sound and the crushing of trees along with the squawking and calling of various birds and animals stopped short the person's sentence. The person looked up, alerted.

"What is that?" queried Cha Cha, looking around.

Shiine and Riiya were just as confused.

"Whatever it is, it sounds big," said Shiine.

"And coming closer." added Riiya.

Suddenly, an enormous clawed foot slammed right down in front of them, crushing the tree the person fell from.

"ARGH!"

"ARGH!"

"ARGH!"

Everyone screamed and ran out of the orchard except for the mysterious person who just followed, rather unhurriedly, behind.

Running further out, they turned, saw, and screamed some more at the thing that made the noise.

"ARGH! WHAT'S THAT?" screamed Cha Cha, pointing at the montrosity in front of them.

She spoke for everyone there (well except for the mysterious person who was still keeping his/her cool).

The creature was so big and tall (even bigger than Riiya's grandpa!) that it covered Cha Cha and the others in its shadow, completely preventing the sunshine from reaching them. It had the most horrible, pig-snorted, toothed face you would have ever seen. Two huge canine tooth sprung up from its lower jaw. Saliva dripped from its lower lip and fell, steaming, onto the ground or any poor thing between it and the ground. It had huge arms that were thicker than any tree trunk known to Cha Cha (or to anyone else for that matter) which ended in powerful looking claws. It had gigantic, hairy legs and feet with rotting toenails at the ends. It was of a reddish brown colour and had a long, toothed tail swinging behind it, knocking down any ill-fated tree that wasn't crushed by it's entrance.

The monster lifted its head and let out a guttural roar, spraying its saliva into the air. The ground shook almost as much as it had when the monster stomped there.

"Huh?" said the person immediately, almost as if he/she had realised something.

'Afose? What is _he_ doing here?' the person thought, a sudden surge of hope overcame him/her at what this could mean.

The monster finally ended his powerful roar and looked down on the group.

"Oh no! He spotted us!" shouted Shiine.

"Let's get out of here!" screamed Cha Cha and quickly summoned her broom, got on and sped off.

Shiine did the same and Riiya transformed to wolf form and went on to Shiine's broom. They sped off in the blink of the eye, leaving behind the person.

Cha Cha looked behind her and realised her mistake.

"Oh no! We left Teacher Rascal behind!"

Cha Cha quickly turned her broomstick around and headed back.

"Cha Cha!" shouted Shiine and Riiya.

"TEACHER RASCAL!"

The unknown person turned around at the shouting and saw an incoming Cha Cha zooming on her broom.

"I'M COMING, TEACHER!" shouted Cha Cha with a look of absolute determination on her face.

A look of absolute horror crossed 'Teacher Rascal''s face as he/she realised that Cha Cha was _not_ stopping.

DONG!

"~Yah~!" the person moaned pitifully as he/she balanced precariously on Cha Cha's broom.

Cha Cha tried to spin around to get away from the monster but of course we know Cha Cha's skill with a broom when someone else was on board.

"ARGH!" yelled Cha Cha as her broom came to a clumsy and quick crash, flinging she and 'Teacher Rascal' off onto the ground.

The monster, seeing that Cha Cha was the closest, sucked in a large amount of air and opened his maw, sending a huge ball of white energy streaking at Cha Cha and the person.

"CHA CHA!" shouted Shiine and Riiya. Shiine had already spun his broom around but he could not reach them in time.

"ARGH!" screamed Cha Cha, shielding herself from the imminent blast.

The mysterious person did likewise.

But the blast never reached them. Cha Cha looked up and smiled brightly.

"TEACHER SERAVI!"

Seravi stood in front them, throwing up a magical barrier that stopped the fireball.

"Cha Cha, are you okay?" he asked over his shoulder, looking worriedly at Cha Cha.

'Seravi?' the person thought, turning to look at him.

Immediately, a knawing hunger started in his/her stomach but he/she tempered it. However, he/she could not help salivating a little.

Slowly, the fireball lost power and Seravi could prepare an attack.

The mysterious person saw him and quickly started to emit very low frequency 'growls', that no one could hear. Except the monster.

*Go back, you fool! The magician is preparing to destroy you... And so am I for that matter.*

The monster shuddered and immediately turned around and fled, much to the surprise of everyone, except the M.P (sorry getting tired of writing that over and over again).

In a flash of black, yes, black, the monster disappeared.

Seravi stopped his spell and looked at Cha Cha.

"Cha Cha are you all right?" he asked again, looking concernedly at her.

"Yes, Teacher! Thanks to you!" she answered happily.

"Teacher Seravi!" said Shiine in greeting as he alighted from his broom. Riiya jumped down to.

"We're all right Teacher, but I think you should take a look at Teacher Rascal!" said Cha Cha, pointing at the M.P.

"Teacher Rascal?" queried Seravi in astonishment.

"But he's so small!" said Seravi, observing the person.

"Cha Cha thinks he shrank." said Shiine.

The M.P looked annoyed and said, "This 'Teacher Rascal' business again! I tried to tell you before, I'm-not-Teacher-Rascal!"

"Oh no! Maybe he has ammi...amhe..."

"Amnesia." Shiine said helpfully.

"I do **NOT** have amnesia!" said the M.P, glaring angrily.

"Maybe, he really isn't Teacher Rascal, Cha Cha." Seravi told her.

"But he looks so much like him!" argued Cha Cha.

A look at the M.P and you would have thought that too. He/She had black hair that covered his/her right eye in exactly the same way as Rascal's hair does and is long in the back in the same way. He/She wore a short-sleeved gray T-shirt and black pants that reached to his/her ankles. The only thing that wasn't like Rascal's was probably his/her eyes which gave off an unfriendly glow.

"Hm. Still, that doesn't mean he's really Teacher Rascal." said Seravi, still unsure.

"I'll sniff him and see if he's Teacher Rascal."

Riiya ran up to the 'Teacher Rascal' and sniffed a few times.

"He's..."

Riiya paused for a dramatic effect.

"What, Riiya?" asked Cha Cha with anticipation.

"Hurry up, you dog!" said Shiine impatiently, jealous that Riiya had gotten Cha Cha's attention so well.

"I'M NOT A DOG! AND...HE'S NOT TEACHER RASCAL!" Riiya finally announced.

"Finally!" sighed the M.P with a note of relief, crossing his/her arms.

"Wow! Riiya! You're so great!" praised Cha Cha.

"Yeah, not bad for a small dog." murmured Shiine.

"I'M NOT A DOG!" shouted Riiya and pounced on Shiine.

Their routine fight followed.

"Well, if you're not Rascal, may we ask who you are?" asked Seravi politely, standing up.

"Thank you. My name is Rua. And by the way."

"I'm a girl."

"Aoh! I'm sorry!" cried Cha Cha, apologising over and over again.

"Fine." said Rua, looking impassive 

"What were you doing in that apple tree?" asked Cha Cha, remembering what she, Shiine and Riiya were doing before the monster buisness.

"I was just plucking some apples to eat."

"_IN_ a tree?" asked Cha Cha, puzzled.

Rua shrugged her shoulders.

"I like it better up there."

Cha Cha suddenly realised she forgot courtesy 101.

"Oops! I almost forgot! I'm Cha Cha," Cha Cha introduced, pointing to herself.

"And he is my Teacher Seravi. And that's Riiya and Shiine."

Riiya and Shiine continue fighting. Cha Cha, with tears in her eyes, shouted,"STOP FIGHTING!"

Riiya and Shiine promptly frozed.

"Hey! Oof!" shouted Riiya, trying to pull Shiine off him.

"How did you manage to do _this_ to me?" he asked angrily, turning to a boy and pointing to his scratched face.

"Your fingernails could not have done _that_ to Riiya's face." said Shiine, getting up and dusting off some dirt on his robe.

Rua smiled.

"You're right, I couldn't do that with my fingernails but I can do this,"

"TRAAANNNSSSS-FORM!" spoke Rua.

She disappeared in a puff of smoke much like Riiya during transformation. When the smoke cleared...

"YAH!" shouted Cha Cha, Riiya and Shiine, backing up. Seravi looked surprise but definitely not afraid.

"REWARR!" growled the large and very feocious looking full grown black panther in front of them.

It unfurled its claws and mocked slashed to demostrate how she could have slashed Riiya's face. Then, transformed back.

"That answer your question?" she asked in a bored tone.

For a while noone said anything. Then...

"WOW! THAT WAS SO COOL! DO IT AGAIN!" shouted a starry-eyed Riiya and Cha Cha.

Rua looked shocked and nervous.

"If you can transform into a panther, then that means the glint we saw must have been your eyes reflecting light!" said Shiine matter-of-factedly.

"Wow, Shiine! You're so smart!" said Cha Cha happily.

"You really think so Cha Cha?" said Shiine, blushing at her praise.

"Then that means the glint I saw last night was you too?" asked Cha Cha, turning back to Rua.

"I did come here last night. I was in panther form too. It was safer up a tree." answered Rua, in monotone.

"Well, why don't you stay with us today then instead of a tree?" asked Seravi, the first time he had said anything in a while.

He had a friendly smile on but Rua seemed not to take notice.

After some time, she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Okay."

"Hurrah! A new friend!" shouted Cha Cha and Riiya in glee and started dancing around and singing the "A new friend" song.

Seravi started walking back into the house.

"I think you should all come in now. Rua must be hungry since all she had were apples so I'm making fried rice for lunch."

"FOOD!" shouted Riiya and quickly ran towards the little cottage.

"RIIYA! Wait for me!" shouted Cha Cha and ran after him.

"HEY! Wait for me too!" exclaimed Shiine, realising he was being left behind.

Rua just walked and was left far, far behind. She did not mind. She had a lot on her mind. One which involved what Riiya had said but it was not the fried rice she was after.

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**_VERY_ much elsewhere...**

In the deep demon realm where demons, Daimarou being a _very_ good example, dwell, a certain demonlord was not happy.

"YOU **FOOL**!"

The whole carvenous-like underworld shook dangerously. Aforse knelt before his master, trembling.

"YOU LET DIAZ **ESCAPE**?!!?" roared the cloaked lord, his bird-like mask covered his face but the eyeholes lit up in fiery red.

The lowly, kneeling demon shuddered.

"Master, I...I...didn't mean to...to..."

"SHUT UP YOU FOOL! WHAT CONCERNS ME MORE IS THAT YOU REVEALED YOURSELF TO AND **ATTACKED** MY ULTIMATE WEAPON!" roared the furious lord, his dark cloak shook as well as the entire realm.

"Si...si....sir, it was an accident, I did...di...didn't mean to attack her! I didn't see her!" Aforse said meekly, cowering before his lord.

"ATTACK HER? HA! SHE WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU FAR MORE EASILY THAN A THOUSAND OF MY FINEST TROOPS COULD EVER HAVE, AFTER THE, 'CONDITIONING' SHE HAD! BUT YOU _REVEALED_ YOURSELF! SHE KNOWS YOU ARE DIAZ'S KEEPER! SEEING YOU WILL LET HER KNOW DIAZ IS FREE AND MY CONTROL OVER HER WILL BE GONE!" roared the greater demonlord.

Aforse curled up and wimpered in fear. The demonlord stood up from his throne and swept towards the cowardly lower demon. The demonlord was truely nothing BUT cloak, with not even feet, save for the bird-like mask that was to pass off as his face.

He stood far higher than the pitiful creature before him and he towered menancingly over him.

"You have disappointed me, Aforse." he said quietly, energy charging up in the eyes of the bird mask.

"My Lord, please forgive! My master, no, **please**! LORD IRULIOSE **NO**!!!" screamed Aforse before taking his last breathe.

Nothing was left but a scorching hole where Aforse once stood.

Iruliose took his place back on the twisted throne and summoned up another of his lackeys. A small, dark, red-eyed demom stepped forth and bowed.

"Rua will have to feed tonight, she _will_ get rid of Seravi no matter what. However, my concern is that she will not carry out the plan to dispose of Seravi's apprentice, Cha Cha, unless she is very hungry. Nonetheless, we cannot take such a chance. SEND FOR OUR BEST TRACKERS AND FIND DIAZ!"

The lower demon bowed and left the throneroom.

Now alone, Iruliose stayed in his throne and thought for a while then stood up and went through a door next to his throne.

Inside, it was bare except for a large transparent coffin-like case in the middle of it. The coffin gave off a strong, red glow which was the only light source in the room. Iruliose walked up to it and looked into it.

"Don't worry, me dear brother, you will have your revenge!"

Inside, the still form of Daimarou did not stir.

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"Excuse me sir!"

"Huh?" answered the baker, turning away from some loafs of bread he was baking.

A young, golden-haired boy with a bright smile looked up at him.

"What is it, you want son?" he asked, taking a liking to the boy immediately.

"I wanted to know where Mochimochi mountain was, sir." answered the boy, looking up with pleading eyes.

'What a nice boy he is!' thought the baker, pleased at being refered to with such respect.

"Well, son, it's just dead ahead. Right there!" said the baker, pointing towards the mountain.

"Really? Oh, thanks, sir!" said the boy and was about to skip along.

"Wait a minute son! If you don't mind me asking, are ya a tourist?"

"Why would you think that sir?" asked the boy with innocent eyes.

"Well, for starters, stop calling me sir! You're embarrassing me that's what it is! Just call me Tom. And I thought you're a tourist cause you don't look like anyone in these parts and plus Mochimochi mountain is a famous spot!"

"Why would Mochimochi mountain be a famous spot?"

"Ah! Don't you know, boy? That's where Seravi, the World's Greatest Magician lives!"

"WHAT? REALLY? OH NO!" shouted the boy in dismay.

The baker looked confused.

"Uh...I mean I can't believe I nearly missed that! Sorry but I must be getting along now!" said the boy and very hurriedly started to run towards Mochimochi mountain.

"Wait son!"

"Yes?" asked the boy tensely. He was always game for conversation but he really must be on his way!

"What's yer name? I told ya mine!" shouted the baker.

"Diaz!" shouted the boy and quickly ran off.

"Such a nice boy! Good looks, good attitude _and_ a nice name to boot! Would have loved to have my Julia marry him!" said the baker to himself happily.

"Hey, what's that smMY BREAD!" he cried and quickly tended to his burning loafs.

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Well, how was it? Please send all comments to sherekhan88@hotmail.com 


	2. Seravi's Killer Birthday

Rua was at the table, sitting between Cha Cha and Seravi, eating silently and slowly. Riiya was, naturally, the absolute opposite of that, shovelling food into his mouth like the end of the world was in the next minute. Shiine could only watch disdainly at him. Seravi was pretty much eating normally, except he had to get up and go back and forth to the kitchen and back to get more fried rice for Riiya. Cha Cha was happily preoccupied with asking their new guest about herself.

"Where do you come from and what were you doing in that tree?" asked Cha Cha curiously.

For a while, Rua did not say anything, trying to formulate a good response.

"I'm an orphan," she finally said,"A travelling orphan. I've been travelling since I was very young and I can't remember where I am originally from. Only my name."

"Oh." said Cha Cha sadly, a bit guilty that she had brought up what she thought was a touchy subject for her guest.

"I learned to live in the wild when they wasn't any towns nearby," Rua continued,"That's why I stay up in trees."

Cha Cha thought for a moment and said brightly,"I know! You can stay with us!"

Just then, Seravi returned from the kitchen with a huge, steaming bowl of fresh-cooked fried rice in his hands, Riiya was quick to grab it. He had heard what Cha Cha had said and told her,"But Cha Cha, I'm afraid we don't have enough room for one more person."

"Hmmm...I know!" shouted Cha Cha and she rushed out of the cottage.

The rest subsequently followed and walked to the side of the cottage where Cha Cha was already trying to do some magic which did not seem to be working.

"Cat Tent, APPEAR!"

The Cat Tent appeared, but with the pattern inside out.

"Oops!" said Cha Cha sheepishly and tried again.

3 more times.

"Cat Tent, APPEAR!" she said for the third time and finally, the Cat Tent appeared perfectly.

"You can stay in there instead!" she announced happily.

For the first time, in very long time, Rua gave a smile.

*Cute. Silly, but still cute.*

Seravi was having second thoughts about this. He wasn't too keen on having a third ward to care for, especially one that they hardly knew or, in his case, trusted. He just did not get a good feeling from the person and even, he would venture to say, a feeling of a threat from her.

Suddenly, Seravi's thoughts were shattered by the sound of three _very_ high pitched yet familiar voices, all of which were, unfortunately, screaming a variation of his name.

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"Oh my Prince Seravi, I will show you my undying love for you, on this blessed day that you were born!" swooned Yakko, turning blurry-eyed with a pink background of floating flowers and such.

"Oh Seravi!" said Shironeko, covering half her face with her hand.

"You'll love this wonderful Birthday cake I made with only the best, most expensive and freshest fish!" she continued, blushing a bright red over her pale face.

"Finally, my sister came through for once!" said Doris, handling both a cakebox and a present in her arms as she walked incredibly fast towards Seravi's cottage.

"Oh Seravi!" she(he) started to daydream about Seravi's reaction, which involved a lot things Seravi would never do if his life depended on it, of course.

All three love-struck ladies (Doris the exception) "dust cloud" walked towards Seravi's cottage from different directions.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **High above in the air...**

"Ha ha!" laughed Dorothy evilly, hovering on her broomstick, not far from Seravi's cottage.

"Seravi is going to have hell when those three reach him, all wanting to give him their birthday presents to him! Ha ha!" she continued with glee, rocking on her broomstick in her excitement.

"Telling them it was Seravi's birthday was such a simple yet brilliant plan!"

She flew a bit lower to get a better view of Seravi's imminent suffering.

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"Seravi!"

"Seravi!"

"Seravi!"

The three ladies (yet again, Doris being the exception), converged and as one, charged at Seravi, eager hands outstretched to present their gifts.

"Rua! Watch out!" shouted Cha Cha, seeing that Rua did not notice the incoming females and was directly in their path.

Rua turned but was too late.

"ARG-*!"

"Oh Rua!" shouted Cha Cha in concern, running to the near flattened guest.

"Is she okay?" asked Shiine, kneeling beside Cha Cha.

"Maybe we should try pulling her out of the ground." suggested Riiya.

"Of course we'll going to pull her out of the ground! What else would we do, you moronic dog!" shouted Shiine angrily.

"I bet you would not have had that idea if I had said it first, Shiine! And I'm not a dog!" shouted back Riiya, standing up.

The two fixed eyes for just one _extremely_ short moment and started fighting again.

For once, Cha Cha did not notice and was more preoccupied trying to help her guest.

"Rua, can you get up?" she asked timidly.

Rua made a muffled sound and raised her head just a bit so that her eyes were above the ground.

Rua's gaze transfixed onto the three ladies who were busily chasing Seravi as he tried in vain to walk away from them. Her eyes started to dilate in fury and she pulled herself out of the ground.

"Oh good, you're okay!"

Rua did not say anything but stood up and dust herself a bit and started walking up to the three who had hit her. Her teeth were locked together and her only eye that was seen was furrowed up in anger.

She cracked her fists and her neck and stalked closer towards them.

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"Oh Seravi, look what I got for you!"

"No! See mine first, Prince Seravi!"

"Nonsense! Mine is much better and more expensive than both of yours combined!"

"Please, get...away...from..." stuttered Seravi, backing away from the crazed ladies and the horrible advances of Doris.

'What is going on?' he thought to himself,'Today isn't my birthday and even if it was, I would never tell them!'

"All of you, go away! Seravi doesn't want you here!" 'spoke' Elizabeth, speaking up for Seravi.

However, advice from the doll didn't work as well on the three as on others.

They continued to argue and shoving presents up at Seravi, with Seravi hopelessly surrounded and helpless.

"Excuse me." said Rua softly, tapping the shoulder of Yakko.

"Huh? Who are you?" asked Yakko roughly, irritated that someone was interrupting her when she was doing such an important task.

The other two turned too, facing Rua. Though their attention was away from Seravi, Seravi was still too tightly surrounded to get away (he also had the frightful feeling that Doris was grabbing onto his arm).

"I believe you, ran, over me just now." Rua spoke quietly and passively though her head was bent down.

"Really? I didn't notice anyone in front of my darling Prince Seravi."

"Neither did I." added Shironeko.

"Nor I!" perked Doris, holding on tighter onto Seravi's arm.

'Gods, please help me!' prayed Seravi, mentally, desperately shaking his arm to get Doris off.

"I thought so." said Rua evenly.

She lifted her head a bit and a glint shone in her eye.

A puff of smoke appeared, concealing Rua.

"What is happening now?" wondered Yakko aloud, peering into the cloud.

A broad and large, black panther head with velvet-like fur, poked out of the cloud right in front of Yakko, it's snout right in front of her eyes.

"Er...er..." stuttered Yakko, her eyes followed up and down the beast's large head, finally transfixing on the extremely sharp looking teeth poking out of its maul, her lip twitched at the upper right corner and she started to sweat.

"Grrr...!" growled Rua, the smoke cleared away, revealing the stream-lined yet muscular feline body of the panther, with glossy jet-black fur and glinting claws poking in and out menancingly from her massive paws. Her tail whisked in the air wildly and her hair stood straight on end along her back, making her look fearfully gigantic! Her lips were drawn back to reveal her pure white fangs and red gums. Her lips trembled to the rhythm of her growling.

"ARGH!" screamed all the girls (Doris -_-0), skittering behind Seravi all at once.

"Oh, Seravi! Please get rid of this horrible monster for us!" pleaded Doris, still clinging onto Seravi's arm tightly.

"Yes, Prince Seravi! This beast is no match for _your_ powers!" cooed Yakko.

"If you don't let me go, Doris," Seravi said with a slight hiss of annoyance,"I won't be able to do any magic at all!"

Doris obediantly, if reluctantly, let go and Seravi saw his escape. He was free from their grasp and all he had to do was teleport to Rua's side, or somewhere extremely far away, and he would be free!

Just then, Rua crept forward a little.

'Hm?' strange, Seravi suddenly felt a little queasy.

'Doris, all that *hugging*,' Seravi thought with extreme disgust,'must be making me sick.'

Nonetheless, Seravi lifted his hands in a dramatic manner and prepared to teleport away.

Rua paced forward some more and more rapidly.

"Erg." groaned Seravi suddenly as he genuinely felt extremely sick in the stomach and lurched backwards, his hands on his stomach.

Rua snarled louder and pounced a great step forward.

"Rua is nearly right next to them, why doesn't Teacher Seravi move away?" asked Shiine aloud.

"Hey look!" shouted Riiya, pointing to a worse looking Seravi.

After Rua had pounced forward, he had sunk to his knees and was on the ground shaking a bit, groaning as if in extreme pain.

"ARGH! TEACHER SERAVI!" screamed Cha Cha, blasting the two surprised boys silly from her out burst.

"Oh no! Seravi, what's wrong?" shouted Shironeko, similarly as concerned as Cha Cha, kneeling beside him.

"Ah! Seravi!" shouted Doris, pushing Shironeko into oblivion to take her place beside Seravi.

Seravi, no matter how deep and extremely sicker he was to have Doris near him, felt too weak to cast a simple Force Bolt spell to push him away.

"Don't worry, my Prince Seravi! I shall get rid of this monster for you!" yelled Yakko, jumping in front of Seravi protectively, holding a black bottle high in her hand with a large picture of a skull and crossbones on it.

"Now have a taste of my "Double XR Monster Destroyer"!"

With that, Yakko hurled the bottle at Rua. Rua stopped her advancements and trailed the path through the air by the bottle. With great precision, she jumped and grabbed the bottle in midair and crushes it in her jaws. Harmless plain water dribble between her teeth as Rua spat out the remains of the bottle.

"WHAT?! No no no no! That can't be right! Where is it?! Where is it?!" shrieked Yakko, desperately rummaging in her cloak for the right potion.

Unbeknownst to her, Rua had crept as quietly as a, well, cat, and was patiently sitting right behind her.

"Ah ha! My "XX**X**R Monster Destroyer"! This should work!" shouted Yakko with an air of relief, lifting her hand up high, clutching yet another bottle, identical to the first except for an extra X.

"Now, where's that monster?" Yakko wondered, realising her target was not in front of her her anymore.

Rua used her tail and poked Yakko on the shoulder.

"Huh? YAH!" screamed Yakko in horror at the feline behind her with the Cheshire grin.

"RWAAARRRR!"

With a mighty sweep of her right paw, Rua sends Yakko flying over the horizon.

**YYAAARRGGGGHH**HHH!" Yakko's cries got softer as she got further from Earth.

"Right, now is my turn! Take this!" saying so, Shironeko hurled several mini cat rockets, each a different colour (and, strangely enough, featuring one of each of her family) at Rua.

Rua saw the rockets coming and made an incredible leap straight up. The rockets passed harmlessly under her and Rua landed silently back on the ground. However, the rockets made a turn-about and head back at Rua from behind.

"Rrrrrr..." growled Rua annoyedly and at the last moment, does a back flip.

"ARGH!"

BOOOM!

"AAHHHH!" shrieked Shironeko as she hurtled into space alongside Yakko, slightly charred and in tears.

"TEACHER!" shouted Cha Cha, running to her beloved Teacher's side.

"Get away you!" shouted Doris, roughly pushing Cha Cha away so much so that Cha Cha fell to the ground with a thud.

"HEY! DON'T YOU DARE HURT CHA CHA!" Riiya yelled angrily and ran right up to Doris with arms outstretched.

BONG!

"ARGH!" Doris screamed, tear waterfalls streaming out of her eyes and hands up to her face.

Doris eventually flew alongside both Yakko and Shironeko and the three of them both flew continously.

"Wow! Look at them go!" commented Cha Cha, amazed by the three ladies flight across the sky.

"Wait! There's...someone up there. I...can't see who it is but the three of them are heading towards..." said Shiine, squinting at the sky.

"Wait! Wait! That's, that's..."

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"What's going on down there?" wondered Dorothy, peering over her broom.

"And WHAT is that horrible shrieking noise?"

"AARRRGGHHHH!!" screamed the three frightened ladies (Dddooorriiisss -_-0) as they hurtled into Dorothy.

"AAARRGGHHHH!" screamed Dorothy along.

"Seravi..."

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"That takes care of that!" said Rua, dusting her hands off after transforming back to human form.

"Teacher Dorothy," Shiine said sadly, watching his Teacher flying off to God knows where.

"TEACHER SERAVI!" shouted Cha Cha, getting up from the ground and proceeded to shake her weak and sick Teacher in desperation.

"Ohh!" groaned Seravi, trying to get up but collasped again.

His skin had gone deathly pale, his eyes and cheeks were sunken and his eyes were very dull, not having any of his usual energy or vitality. Sweat covered him

"Riiya, help him up will you?" shouted Shiine, trying to get Seravi up to his feet with help from Cha Cha but he was just too heavy for them.

"I'm coming!"

Riiya lifted up Seravi on his shoulders with disastrous results.

"Ah! Watch out! He's going to tip over!" shouted Shiine, alerting Riiya to pick him up in the nick of time.

"I'll just summon a stretcher then!" said a frustrated Shiine, making a magic, floating stretcher behind Seravi.

They told Seravi to lean back onto the stretcher and all three of them trooped back into the cottage with the stretcher following in the middle.

Rua, at first, just stood where she had transformed, staring at Seravi as he was being helped.

'I should finished the job...' she thought, looking at the weakened Seravi.

But the image of a smiling, sunny young boy with short, blond hair appeared like a beacon in her dark, troubled mind...

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_"You wouldn't kill, would you?"_

"Diaz...I..."

The boy walked closer to Rua and hugged her.

"Promise me you wouldn't!" he said, hugging her tighter.

A black stream-like creature hit Diaz squarely in the shoulder, knocking him backwards. A large, red-furred claw-like hand reached out of the darkness and grabbed him.

"Visiting time is over." grunted Aforse, sneering as he shook Diaz.

Aforse thromped away but Diaz looked over his shoulder at Rua, waiting.

Rua locked her teeth together and clasped her fists.

"Diaz! I promise! I won't kill!" she shouted, before Diaz disappeared into the darkness.

"Now, Rua," said a voice never heard by those possessing the mortal ear.

"It's time for your training."

The large, dark figure of the Dark Lord appeared out of the darkness and stood beside Rua.

"Yes, Master Iruliose." Rua said, her head bowed low not in respect but in loathing for the Devil monster.

"Today, we shall see how you have mastered your..."killing" techniques,",

So saying, an old man appeared in front of them, frightened beyond comprehension and having no more wish then to be safely back home.

Deadly whispers and mysterious chattering came from the darkness, the sounds that you heard in the night and cowered from under your covers. The darkness moved around Rua and the man but eminated from the Dark Lord.

The man spied the Dark Lord above all else and cowered and trembled, his mouth opened and closed like a dying fish gasping for air.

Then, he spied Rua. Whatever sliver of hope that man had, came from Rua. A fellow human being nearby gave that man solace if only a little.

Rua needed no bidding now. She disappeared into the darkness and came back out a monster of the fang and claw. She lunged at the man.

The man, seeing his last hope turn to his death, could not even scream before his life was taken.

There was silence from the moment Rua transformed and attacked to the man's death. Rua rose a top the man's carcass and broke the silence with a savage roar. The chattering started again, giving praise to the dark deed performed by Rua with Iruliose looking on.

Rua felt salty tears mixing with the blood on her fangs and lips though in her beastly form, she did not understand.

"You wouldn't kill, would you?"

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Rua shooked her head from those memories and followed plaintatively behind the three and the injured magician into the cottage.


End file.
